Sedburgh

Sedbergh (pronounced Sed-Ber) is an ancient market town in the Western Yorkshire Dales National Park, in north-west England. Although Sedbergh is now in the county of Cumbria, it used to be in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The town has a narrow, cobbled main street lined with shops. From all angles you can see the hills rising behind the houses. Until the coming of the railway in 1861, These were remote places that it was possible to reach only by slogging over some fairly steep hills. The railway to Sedbergh was closed in 1965.

History

Sedbergh's church, St Andrew's, dates from the 12th century, though restored periodically since then. There is at least one house dating from the 14th century, and there are the remains of a motte and bailey castle believed to date from Saxon times.

The main industries of Sedbergh, were for many years the private boys' school, founded in 1536, (Sedbergh School), farming, and the production of woollen garments.

Wool sheared from the many sheep was taken to local mills were it was turned into yarn from which people in their homes, would knit clothing, including hats and socks. The garments were then sold by local merchants to, among other places, the coal miners of the North East of England. This trade has long since disappeared. There are still plenty of sheep in the surrounding fields. Some of the sheep are now raised primarily to protect the breed, notably the Rough Fell sheep.

Economy

Income now comes from a range of sources, the Schools are still the main employer in the town. It is now possible that the turnover of small to medium manufacturing and wholesaleing companies matches or exceeds that of the schools - a growing feature of the economy. Other major sources of income are farming, retail and tourism. It is hoped that tourism will increase after the efforts of Sedburgh to find a twin town were featured in a BBC documentary, The Town That Wants A Twin during January 2005.

Links

Sedbergh Yes

BBC Show Site